Tea Leaves and Gold Pins (Director's Cut)
by Noizchild Johnson
Summary: Edited first season. One of three stories that follow my poem, "Wasteland 2011." This one follows Ju, a sixteen-year-old heir of the Liao clan after her father's funeral. Who is the man with the panda on his back talking to two of her family's top advisers? How do the events in "Wasteland 2011" tie into her life and story as well as the countries' own lives and roles in this tale?
1. Funeral, White, and Stranger

_Author's Note: I finally got off my ass and started editing the first of the Hetalia section of the Wasteland Project. I got myself a beta reader last night and made some touch-ups to the first match of Gold Pins. Don't worry, I will be back with real new stuff on June 27th. So please sit tight for me, please? Oh yes, I would like to thank my beta reader, Fiona, for helping me out._

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Tea Leaves and Gold Pins

Match One: Funeral, White, and Stranger:

My name is Liao Ju and today is my father's funeral.

There are many ways I can start this very story. There are dead parents, the funeral, a little bit about myself, the clan, my friends' drama, and then there's…

Wait! Wait! Okay, I'll talk about one subject at a time here. First, the funeral.

All of the people of our clan all showed up at the house on this Saturday afternoon. There a six families among us at the matter. Mine is the head. My father's coffin sat nailed shut before everyone. I haven't seen my father since back in March of my spring back. It still shocks me that his cancer finally claimed. Despite being bed-ridden on machines, he still was rather lucid and sharp-tongued as ever. I would've thought that he would've hung on until the middle of this month. But no, he died eight days before my birthday.

Today is day seven of the funeral ceremony. We have at least… forty-two more days to go. For a sixteen-year-old like me, that's just as fun as it sounds. My father was a traditional man like that. So, I have to grin, bear, and pray just like the five other families. To be honest with you, I don't have any more prayers left. That dried up four days and now I'm just pretending to pray in good taste. As head of the Liao clan, I have to put on a sophisticated face for the people. To tell the truth, this was just dumped on me.

Yes, I am the heir to the head of Liao clan. I know what you are thinking: "But Ju, you're a girl. So how can you be head of a powerful family?" To make a long story short, I am the lesser of two evils for my father. It was either make his daughter or his brother-in-law the heir to the clan after his death. Though he was a traditional man, he hates and distrusts my uncle. So… yeah. But, I'm only sixteen years old. This is true. I have to wait two more years to officially inherit the authority. Right now, two of my mom's dearest friends and top advisers to my father, Song Fei and Chang Hen-to, well be running things behind the scenes. I am just the figurehead. In fact, they helped me make the funeral arrangements and sign the important papers on day three. Hen-to's wife, Bik, was the one who called me and told me about father's death while I was at school. She keeps asking if I'm okay and everything like that. I'm fine, I don't really feel much. Yes, I am sorry my father died, but in all honesty we didn't get along too well.

Father and daughter fought like two enemies in a mental war. Tradition versus modern summed us up beautifully. He wanted his only daughter to be ladylike and silent. I have grown not to be like that. When he was healthier, my father barely spoke to me except to criticize me about my clothes, choices in media, friends, and my curiosity about more taboo subjects in our country. Mind you, he did care in his own way. Father paid for me to go school and gave me such knowledge to run the clan. Both were begrudging for us, but they turned out to be beneficial in the long run.

I tried to ignore the uncomfortable empty feeling in my stomach. I haven't eaten since six this morning. I was up with Fei and Hen-to making the final arrangements for the funeral today. Rice balls are nice, but they're not as filling as I hoped they would be. It's a good thing I don't paint my nails with all of the holy paper I helped paste onto the coffin with the girls of the clan. I picked out his clothes to be buried in. I couldn't make most of the wake due to school and signing some legal paperwork to confirm everything. I felt so naked without my earrings during the whole period. I couldn't really make myself cry the whole time. I kept my head down and tried to pretend that was to be respectful to him. I just didn't really feel anything the whole time. I think some of the ladies knew that, but said nothing about it. Today, my eyes are watering from all the incense that we burned for days now.

I shifted in place on the floor as I tugged my white cheongsam. Here I am back at home in traditional wear again. That's all I wear at home as far as I could remember. It feels so weird to the outsider to wear white to a funeral. That's how we are brought up in our country. I believe that white shows the sorrow of losing a loved one to the pure earth again. Bik told me this when I was a little girl at my mother's funeral. Still, I would've like a western-style dress for the comfort just this one time. But… Anything to keep a dead father humored on his way to the afterlife. I sure did him proud today. Even as he's nailed shut in his wooden box, I could feel his eyes on me as I sat right next to him. It's just like the times we he was bed-ridden. He could _still_ hear somebody talking about him from another room. I had to keep my mouth shut while I was in the house.

Because he didn't have any sons in life, I have to fill in the duties of the eldest for this funeral. Father went over with me during his trips in and out of the hospital. I felt like screaming by the tenth time he ran it by me, but I kept a poker face and nodded in understanding. He'll still beat it over my head just like he does with everything else. At least today I know what to do.

I just wonder where the point of my life will bend to now.

As I walk with the coffin to the cemetery, I happen to look up and see a man with his man bowed in respect for the dead. I find that my eyes stayed attached to him, trying to figure him out. He has his long black hair tied back into a ponytail. Just like the rest of the funeral party, he has on white traditional clothes that looked freshly pressed. Even the panda on his back has its head bowed in respect. I notice Fei and Hen-to walking over to the man. The three of them talk before going into the house. For some reason, I feel like I have seen that man in white before. I can't exactly place where.

"Bik," I whisper. She didn't turn around as she held the car door open for the coffin.

"What is it, Miss Ju?" she whispers back. I make a face when she says that. It's so weird to hear her call me that. She used to just call me by my first name up until this point. I shake it off and proceeded with my question.

"Who did Fei and Hen-to go back inside with?" I ask. Bik takes a moment to push back her black-gray hair out of her eyes.

"One of your father's business associates," she replies.

"Yes, but who is he?" I ask. I can tell that Bik was smiling as she held back a small giggle.

"Oh, you will find that one out soon enough," she says. Then, she returns her attention back to the casket and climbs into the hearse. I look at her and then at the house with a blank look on my face. I can see the side of that man's face in the front window as he talks to Fri and Hen-to. Suddenly, I feel a fat moist palm grab onto my small wrist. I nearly jump as a result. Bik looks at me with a serious look in her eyes.

"Get in already," she says. I nod like a little bobble-head doll and climb in next to her into the hearse. As the car pulls away, I take one look at my house. That man, Fei, and Hen-to still sat in Father's office talking; I'll bet. For odd reasons, I feel my cheeks turn pink with heat and my heart do a flip when I that about that third man.

I decided to find out who he was.

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 _Next Time: In Which Alfred Meets Florence for the First Time._


	2. Mother, Father, and Business Meetings

_Author's Note: I realized that the fifth season of the Wasteland Project will begin in five weeks. Hang in there, the wait will be over soon. Hold on a little bit long._

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Match Two: Mother, Father, and Business Meetings:

To get a better understanding of who I am, I will talk about my late parents.

Our parents shape who we are in life. Whether it's for the good or bad, they mold us into the people we will be in the future. Mother and Father shaped started me on this path of my life.

My Mother was Kim Daiyu before she married my father. From my notes, she was could be described as an angel. For that reason, they couldn't figure out how she could be related to her older twin brother, Kim Jianjun. I will get back to him at some point of the story. Back to my mother.

Daiyu had many admirers growing up. Just looking at pictures of her when she was younger made it easier to understand why. My mother was a beautiful girl growing up. She didn't only have her looks, however. Many people described her as gentle, top of her classes, powered with a quiet strength, patient with people, and skillful as a young lady. All of these traits helped her make friends easily. Yet, she had a couple of problem with her growing up.

First off, my mother was a sickly child. Her health never really stayed stable throughout her life. She ended up in and out of hospitals at an early age. Her parents even considered homeschooling her at one point due to her illness. My mother was held back a year because she missed too many days of school and couldn't keep up. Despite all of that, Daiyu kept a cheerful attitude about life.

"It's so nice to have so many people come and visit me when I'm sick," she said during her last year of junior high. My mother even got to bond with all of the doctors and nurses at the hospitals that she stayed in. This was well and all, but she still had her other problem to deal with.

As everyone can guess now, my uncle, Jianjun, was my mother's other problem. To say that he's the black sheep of the family is a huge understatement. He's a con man to sum it up. My uncle has been one since his last year of grade school. It started out as a way to get attention. Jianjun used his ill twin sister as a way to have sympathy from all of the adults in their small town. He was always smooth with his words and could attract people with his twisted charm. As he and mother enter junior high, attention didn't suit his taste as it used to.

My uncle and mother grew up in what the West would call working class. Their parents worked to support their children and Daiyu's health care problems. As soon as the twins hit junior high, my uncle began crave money. His sister was growing up into an attractive young woman. Just like in the past, he knew how to exploit her to his advantage. Lucky for my mother, she had her two childhood friends, Fei and Hen-to, to keep her safe from her own brother.

Their little function worked in an odd way until my mother fell in love with my father.

My father, Liao Khai, was born into a rich family. He and his mother spent most of the summers out in the countryside. He met my mother when they were fifteen in the summer of '83. My uncle spotted him first. When he saw my father's clothes, he thought that he would get easy money out of him. He had the whole plan set up to rip off my soon-to-be father and my mother would be the centerpiece of the con.

However, things would not go as planned for my uncle this time.

My father was bored at the time and decided to check things out in the countryside. It never really impressed him, but he did so anyway so that he could be impressed later. He wanted to buy some treats, so he wandered into Yangxin County to find a local store. My uncle studied Khai for the past three days by then. They trailed him to the candy store. Jianjun turned to his sister.

"You remember the plan, right?" he asked. "Just go in, woo him with your charm, and everything will go smoothly from there. Got me?" My mother nodded uneasily. Usually, she went along with her brother's schemes just to keep him happy. This time, however…

Jianjun patted her on the back. "What are you waiting for?" he asked. "Go!"

"Okay…" Daiyu mumbled. She crossed the street and walked into the candy store.

Khai looked at the choices even though he already knew what he wanted. After a good couple of minutes, he made his selection to head over to the counter with. His hand reached out for the last sugarcane when my mother reached for it as well. Khai looked up and saw this baby doll face looking at him.

"Uh…" he said. "This one is mine."

"No," my mother said. "I want this one."

"But I was here first."

My mother lowered her head in fake sorrow. "Please! I just got out the hospital and I hadn't sugarcane in so long! I'll pay you back, I promise. Just please…" My father tried to resist her sweet little teenage doe eyes at that time. No one could resist that classic charm then. My father dropped his shoulders and groaned.

"I really wanted this sugarcane," he complained. Khai turned to see Daiyu pouting at him now.

"Fine," he groaned. She bowed her head at him.

"Thank you," she said. But then, Daiyu paused. Her graceful baby doll face flooded with worry.

"Oh no!" she wailed. My father gave her a strange look.

"What now?" he asked.

"I don't have enough money to pay for it," she admitted in a small, embarrassed voice. She pulled out her wallet and turned it over. Only two coins fell out on the ground. Khai groaned aloud.

"I suppose you want me to pay for it too, huh?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest. My mother gave him a nervous chuckle.

"I'm so sorry," she mumbled. Khai rolled his eyes.

"You're lucky you're kind of cute," he mumbled. So, my father paid for the last whole sugarcane for my mother. My uncle watched them the whole time. He grinned in victory as he counted up how much money he would be getting. However, mother twisted the whole plan around from there.

She invited him to take a walk with her. "It's the least I can do for taking your sugar cane," she insisted. Khai dropped his shoulders.

"Why not?" he asked. They took the back roads through the countryside. There, my mother broke down and told the truth.

"I can't go through with this," Daiyu admitted. My father gave her a strange look.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. My mother paused and turned to him.

"My brother is a con man," she said. "You're his latest target." Khai blinked at her.

"What do you mean?" he asked. My mother lowered her head.

"You're rich and he wants cheat you out of your money," she explained calmly. "He always uses me in his cons."

"But I don't get it," my father said. "Why are you telling me this?" My mother fidgeted with her fingers as she blushed.

"I kind of like you," she mumbled. Khai frowned.

"How can I be sure that you're not willingly helping him?" he asked.

"Just be careful," Daiyu said. She handed him the sugarcane. Khai blinked at her.

"Why are you giving me this?" he asked.

"Please," Daiyu said. Then, she ran away as fast as she could. Father looked at her with a strange impression about her.

From there, they kept in touch through the years. Khai came to see Daiyu every summer. They didn't really get together until they went to college in Beijing. By age twenty-three, they were married. However, the story isn't finished yet. Every clan needs an heir to keep it going. They tried for four years to have a baby. Then in '94, I was born. However, my mother had a difficult pregnancy. The doctors worried about her having a baby. Some of them even suggested that she get an abortion for the sake of her health, but my mother refused.

"I am having this baby!" she protested. My father just wanted to make her happy. So, he supported her through the whole nine months. However, he was disappointed that I was born because he wanted a son and not daughter.

"I'm so sorry," my mother apologized to her husband in her hospital bed. He gave her a light kiss on the forehead.

"It's not your fault," he whispered. My father tried to risk the One-Child policy by having another baby an old friend of his. That plan fell through when she couldn't get pregnant. Over time, Khai's sperm count had dropped too low and he couldn't have any more children. In the end, he had to deal with me being the potential heir in the end.

My mother was happy with the short time that she spent with me on the last years of her life. As far as I remember back, she was always in bed sick. Bik and the other women of the clan did their best to take good care of Daiyu. Even though everyone knew that she wouldn't last long, they tried to make the most of it with my mother. Father even set my crib right now to her bed so that his wife could be close to her baby in the first years of her. By the time I was four, Daiyu lost her life from her life-long illnesses. That two loses that my father never really recovered from: fertility and his true love.

 _Back at the House_

Wang Yao sat down with Fei and Hen-to in Khai's office. Hen-to leaned forward.

"It's so good that you came in today, Wang-qianbei," he said. Yao looked at each of the men with his eyes.

"Are you sure that this is a good idea to talk about business today?" he asked.

"Yes!" the advisors said in one breath.

"It's better to get this meeting out of the way before that dirty rat Jianjun catches wind of our lord's death and tries to seize control of the clan for himself," Fei confessed. Yao nodded once.

"This is true," he admitted. Hen-to heavily breathed out.

"It's a good thing we can all still speak ill of the living!" he snapped as he rose to his feet. "Our lady's brother has been a disgraceful plague to her since they were born! I cuss his cock!" Yao lightly shushed him.

"That is not necessary right now," he said. Hen-to settled back down in his chair.

"Forgive me," he said. The men waited until everything went calm again.

"May I ask who the head of this clan is now?" Yao asked.

"His daughter," the men said. A shocked look came over the third man's face.

"What?!" he asked. "But she's only a child!"

"Better to have the clan's future in the hands of a child than a crook," Hen-to reasoned.

"But she's only sixteen," Yao pointed out.

"She'll be seventeen in a few days," Hen-to said.

"Plus, we'll be running the clan behind her until she comes of age," Fei added. "Would you like to meet her when she comes home from the burial?" Yao shifted in his seat.

"I guess it couldn't hurt…" he mumbled. Hen-to gave him a calm smile.

"The clan will be in good hands," he said. "I swear on my son's future to it!" Yao forced himself to smile back. Better to have the clan's future in the hands of a child than a crook.

Right…


End file.
